Interesting from BaggyTrousers on another thread, it sounds like we're aiming for a squad of 41 next yr plus academy. My current count (of full/development contracts), and please let me know if I have anything wrong, is as follows:

That's a total of 37, and includes a few boys who have been rumoured to be on their way out (Hond, Ross), or who haven't been given any meaningful gametime this season (O'Hagan, Browne, Cairns, Busby, Owens) and may end up leaving. On the other hand it doesn't include any academy promotions - we'll definitely see Timoney, and possibly Curtis, Stewart, Dalton, O'Toole?

Stick all that in the mix, hopefully we have another 3-4 unannounced signings... Carberry (I think he'll end up here) plus a couple of others?

Last edited by Columbo on Wed May 23, 2018 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

and there are some quite good ones in there, notably Lowry (by all accounts, haven't seen him play myself) as well as the ones I mentioned who got a bit of gametime this year.

Actually was quite impressed looking down the academy list there, a lot of really promising guys who are still really young, for example still 19: O'Toole, Clarke, Dalton, McCusker, Hall, Dunleavy, Lowry, Hume, in all seriousness, and barring a drastic loss of form, that is a hell of a crop to come online in the next couple of years..

If I were Dan the Man I’d be concerned enough with that squad going into a pre-season friendly against Rotherham Titans never mind going up against a Racing or Clermont in the SDC - Christ it’ll be a bloodbath. For the sake of the squad’s physical and my mental wellbeing lose the match on Sunday and hope to get drawn against some Russian part timers in the NSSDC.

I think the main strength of the squad is going to come from the academy and there are some really talented lads coming through. We have 9 players in the Irish U20's World Cup squad with Lowry likely to be added giving us 10. An all Ulster 9-13 potentially Stewart, Lowry, Curtis and Hume, the pack has Clarke, O'Toole, Dalton, Dunleavy, Agnew and Hall.

Rea Jr should be coming through as well in the back row and McBurnley hopefully will break through at hooker as well. It might be a tough watch at times next season with the young guys having to step up, we could do with at least one quality signing in the front 5 to add a more grit to the squad but longer term we'll be better for it. But a lot depends on those young guys making the step up - the ones blooded this year certainly have looked capable.